To Be King
by Riseha
Summary: Life as Aizen Sosuke's only daughter was unlikely to be boring. That, at least, was the upside to this second life of mine. Alternate Universe, semi-SI, OC.
1. start

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**TO BE KING**  
by: Riseha

**Prologue**

It was just a passing, offhanded comment.

"Aizen-taicho, you'd definitely make a good father!"

Ah, Hinamori. She complimented Sosuke at least thrice a day. And the blush that accompanied her words... she was too easy. Somehow, her words stuck.

"I haven't found anyone yet," he'd replied, laughing. "But I do like children."

True. But not for the reasons Hinamori might think. Children were like free guinea pigs; a blank canvas for him to paint. Hinamori was a piece of work that he hadn't molded since she was in her infant-hood. And surely a child of his would be more exceptional when it came to withstanding Hollowfication?

Hirako-taicho and his group had been disappointing.

Raising a child would take time, patience and resources—and he wouldn't even know how he or she would turn out.

Fortunately, Aizen Sosuke had never lacked any of those.

* * *

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

* * *

Aizen-taicho was up to something.

Gin knew this with absolute certainty. He noticed that the man was gone more frequently—most likely to his private lab. Gin was privy to the location of a few of his labs but he was sure there were other labs Aizen kept hidden from him.

Gin kept grinning; he was only a tad uneasy.

Perhaps Aizen sensed his restlessness; Gin didn't ask him about it but Aizen had given him permission. Not in words, no, but if Aizen didn't bother concealing his reiatsu then that meant that Gin was allowed to follow him. Indeed, it was a new (to Gin) lab but smaller, dustier and cramped.

Gin would've greeted his taicho cheerfully if it wasn't for the fact that he sensed something else.

Aizen's reiatsu split in two. Even though the other one was tiny, weak and flickering uncertainly.

He tensed. What had Aizen done?

Aizen turned from the sealed incubator and smiled at him. "Gin, now you come." Gin took that as the cue to approach. He wandered over to Aizen, peering over his shoulder.

"Wha's tis'?"

"Nothing complicated, merely a part-time project of mine."

His grin faltered slightly. "...It's a kid."

"A fetus, Gin." Aizen smiled. "And it's mine."

Gin could instantly deduce that the fetus had no mother. Well, Aizen-taicho must have used someone else's DNA; but Gin meant mother in the maternal sense, as in the woman who comforted you when you were sick and stuff.

Wonderful. Now Gin had another Aizen to deal with.

* * *

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

* * *

Tosen was notified by Gin; he didn't seem displeased by the fact that he was the last one to know. Neither did Tosen inquire as to how the fetus came to be. It was so obvious that Aizen wasn't one for the natural way. Gin wasn't even sure Aizen came the natural way.

How could anyone be _that_ smart to know_ everything_?

Well, Gin wouldn't mind that genius intellect; how was he going to smash this incubator the little "pet" project and coming off as an innocent man who lost his balance?

Whatever spawn of Aizen was bound to be an abomination.

That didn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

Aizen was here nearly every hour he wasn't needed in his barracks. Or he just used Kyoka Suigetsu to charm everyone into thinking he was there when in truth, he was here all along.

You could only stare at a developing fetus for so long. Gin hated to admit it but he couldn't keep track of Aizen's every single action and right now, he was at loss as to where the man was. He wasn't in the lab his "kid" was "napping" but that could be because he was hiding his reiatsu.

Gin would be hard-pressed to find a reason as to why he was lurking around there since he made it clear that looking at the kid was boring since it did nothing but sleep.

"Ichimaru-taicho."

"Hm?" Gin glanced up from his paperwork.

"Tosen-taicho sent for you," announced Kira. "He said the baby's coming—what does that mean—"

Gin didn't have a kid before but he was pretty sure no baby came into the world after only six months—and expect to be healthy and strong.

"'m goin'."

Gin was the last to arrive; Tosen was already there, standing awkwardly and wishing he could see. There was the sound of tiny sniffling and, as Gin had half-expected (he was half-expecting for the thing to be dead), the baby looked as healthy as one nursed in a mother's womb.

Albeit a little pale.

Like, sheet-white.

Was it wrong for Gin to hope it was dying?

"Suou," said Aizen, smiling—lacking any warmth or paternal love. "To become king, it's a fitting name, is it not?"

Gin unstuck his throat and grinned, masking his eyes as slits. "Whateva' ya say, taicho."

* * *

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

* * *

**[A/N]: **Short, but the next chap will be longer; this is the prologue after all. This is set about forty to fifty years before the start of the series.

**Question:** What will the child's gender be? Boy or girl? Your choice!

Review!


	2. one

**TO BE KING**  
by: Riseha

**Chapter 1**

There was darkness all around me, falling and wrapping around me like gauze, shrouding me like a veil. Distantly, I heard the rumbling murmurs of human voices. They soothed me; despite the darkness and apparent blindness, the voices reminded me that my situation wasn't too lugubrious.

"So you seek life in my realm," There was stronger voice, still disembodied and unfamiliar and even more uncomfortable; the unearthly voice burned in the back of my mind. If I had my body, I would've shuddered, "I will grant it, in return, I ask of you three conditions—"

And a wholly new voice interrupted: "I think it's time for you to wake up, Suou."

There was a _click!_ and following it was a chill that blew through my bones, nestled in and made itself home; I let out a sharp noise of protest, trying to yell at whoever had tried to tear me from the comforting cocoon (in gratitude because the voice that seared its imprint into my mind was not welcomed at all), flailing my arms. (I was surprised I could actually move my arms.)

But all protests died when warm, large hands embraced me.

I stifled a sob of relief, turning and burrowing my face into the closest source of warmth. It had been so cold - as if I was standing naked in the middle of a blizzard.

Ba-thump. The rhythmic beat led me to conclude that this was a person holding me—er, not that I was expecting a gorilla to be holding me or anything - and judging from the size of the person's chest, was undoubtedly male (or a very flat-chested woman).

What disturbed me was that I couldn't even lift my eyelids. They felt heavy, from weariness and another reason I would not recognize for the time being.

Voices echoed in my ears. A large, callused palm resting on my head.

The warmth was encompassing and I surrendered to sleep, too tired to fight it anymore.

**x**

There was something inherently wrong and sad about finding out that the one who'd always been your source of comfort was one you should be running away from.

I found out I was an infant the first time I woke up - there was no room to deny it in the small space of the crook of the man's elbow where my fragile head rested and how the rest of my body was balanced in only one arm. I'd let out a startled scream once - and crying because I was hungry.

I figured out that this new body was ... _unnatural_ from the start.

Merely four months after I was - supposedly - _born_, I could already crawl, see clearly and seize a firm grip on whatever I wanted. Furthermore, my infant body wasn't even that anymore. I'd found a hand mirror and I'd spent hours staring in shock: a fourth-month-old shouldn't have the body of an eight-month-old.

Either my sense of time was screwed up or it was the genetic make-up of this body.

I was hiccuping in panic and confusion when 'father' came and comforted me.

Though it had been years since I saw that face on TV, I recognized that square-glasses, thick wavy dark hair and deceptively kind and handsome face hiding malice: Aizen Sosuke.

I was stunned enough to forget how to breathe and when my lungs threatened to give out, only did I inhaled greedily and exhaled, trying to push the panic out with every breath. Maybe it was fatherly instinct sensing that I needed comfort or he wanted to subject me to inhuman experiments - whatever the reason, malicious or genuineness - he picked me up and held me, hand stroking my hair.

It worked, somewhat. My mind cleared enough to think. It was impossible I could be here. No, wait. It was impossible _he_ could be here, near me, in the real world unless I was in their world. Which would not make sense.

How?

A memory surfaced instantly in response: of the ghastly disembodied voice allowing me entry into its realm, the conditions I had to fulfill ...

My heart skipped a beat. Was that the Soul King?

But why? Why did he allow me to enter?

I sniffled, clinging onto the man's white haori, burdened by tasks and conditions I did not wish to shoulder alone.

**x**

After that little panic attack, I had the decency to be ashamed of sniveling. However, Aizen Sosuke need not worry about a repeat performance because the body was already growing too old for coddling.

The fact that the Soul King dragged me into this world clinched when I saw Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen. I poked and prodded each and every one of them. They didn't flicker or give away like illusions did so I had to accept that.

I hoped I came off as a curious child instead of someone seeking desperate proof - a semblance of normalcy and reality in this staggering world of illusions.

I stopped worrying about my safety. Actually, I had never been worried about my safety in the first place - Kaname wouldn't hurt me and Gin wouldn't dare to do it under Aizen's nose. I knew Aizen would view me as a tool but unless I showed a sign of weakness, of unworthiness, he wouldn't harm me. Basically - for now, however precariously - I was in the safest place in the world. Until Aizen decided to send Hollows and unspeakable monsters to test how powerful I was.

Hopefully, he wouldn't do that until I had a semblance of training.

I had a feeling I would be going through rigorous training soon enough.

For now, I only had to stimulate my mind ... which meant reading books. I lived somewhere underground since there were no windows and I'd never seen the sun in this world before. The shelves that lined the rocky walls were crammed full of books. The three men took turns teaching me how to read and write.

I expected it to be, like, super difficult and I panicked internally.

I was pretty sure Aizen wouldn't be impressed if he knew his daughter was struggling to learn.

I thanked whoever was watching out for me - _thank you, Soul King_ \- that it wasn't as impossible as I'd feared. I knew the Chinese language and some of the Japanese characters were similar enough to help me.

This body's brain was also more ... I felt like I was insulting myself for thinking this infant's brain was functioning better than mine did. Wait, technically, this body was also mine but ... stop thinking.

I had to owe it to my new body. Not only did it develop quicker than ordinary humans, its brain seemed to work twice as quickly - to me, anyway. I picked up hiragana sooner than I thought possible.

I was absolutely positive only half a year had passed since I'd entered this world, but the body was already that of a two-year-old. I feared I would age to fifty in another year but suppressed it. Since I was a baby, I wasn't supposed to know that ordinary babies didn't grow so quickly.

I attributed this to being born in Seireitei and since souls were fundamentally different from humans, I could grow faster than human babies I suppose. I wondered if I could be classified as human. I doubted I was born the normal way since Gin liked calling me incubator-baby and several other nicknames that - though I did not understand, I was sure - were derogatory. Gin always grinned at me and encouraged me to play with him, friendly in every gesture but I knew he loathed me for being Aizen's daughter.

He wanted me dead, perhaps not as badly as Aizen, but still lifeless nonetheless. I would have many natural enemies just because of my parentage.

So I knew I had to start Shinigami training as soon as possible.

"Suou-chan~!" Before I could strengthen my grip on my picture book, Gin ripped it away and tossed it carelessly. I stared at his blatant disrespect of books. "Let's go -"

"Can you teach me that?" I asked. Gin had fallen silent the moment I spoke. My father and his men knew that I spoke slowly in an effort to enunciate every syllable accurately.

"Wha' has you so fascinated?" he asked.

"You move very, very fast - I want to do that, too!"

Gin smirked. "Maybe when you can run."

"I can," I stressed.

"Not wit'out face-planting."

Great. Just great. I knew from his face that he was going to do his best to embarrass me with his repertoire of baby stories - that was mostly untrue and never happened but he probably counted on me not remembering my infant years to be able to counter him. I bet Gin was disappointed I would be a toddler then a child in a year or two so he wouldn't be able to take snapshots of me sniveling or drooling.

The thought made me shudder. "What do you want?"

"Let's go for a run, ne?"

**x**

Her first word was "Otou-san" - father. That one word was like a bucket of ice cubes that washed over him - Aizen Sosuke was not easily fazed but her word chilled him to the bone for reasons he had yet to speculate about. Suou was an active and curious baby, he'd observed and made notes of her rapid growth - deductive reasoning nodded to her immense reiatsu for an infant and her body rapidly evolved to bear the brunt of it. Aizen estimated that in seven years, she would bear the form of an adult - at least, he knew she'd stop aging once her reiatsu stabilized.

Aizen was there for every firsts: her first word, first time walking, first time laughing or smiling - which was rare. His presence seemed to elicit varying responses from her. At least he appeared to be the one she gravitated to anyway. Suou's disdain was specially reserved for Gin; she did not pay much attention to Tosen.

Aizen knew that Suou had not much stimulation and for a growing baby - toddler, child - it wasn't healthy.

In retrospect, having Gin play with her was not healthy either. Having Gin anywhere _near_ her couldn't be healthy in the first place.

Suou looked bored, though, to play a game of 'Who can gather more dead pigeons' with Gin.

"Suou, Gin."

His daughter perked up, abandoning the bloodied pencil that had been used to prod the poor bird's organs, to rush to him. Suou ducked beneath his captain haori - the small tremors rocking her body told Aizen that she had not been as indifferent to killing birds as she had acted - and clung to his leg.

"What is this ... mess?" Aizen asked carefully, eyeing the scene. There were about a dozen mutilated pigeons. One of them flapped its wings weakly. Aizen was not raising his daughter to be a psychopath or sociopath - those sort of people were interesting to deal with, but ultimately, not people useful to his cause. "Gin, didn't I warn you to not do anything that would upset Suou?"

Gin shrugged. "I'll clear this up."

On the upside, Aizen learned one thing about his daughter ... she was not prone to cruelty if her trembling was anything to go by ... nor did she have a measure of bloodlust - she showed no fascination for blood either - which was ... odd, considering who he had used to construct the other 50% of Suou's DNA.

The founder of the 11th Division had a daughter - though unknowingly - that despised blood and cruelty? Ironic.

Aizen smiled - perhaps it came from him? Aizen was not opposed to killing but he did not lust for blood nor did he actively seek battle regardless of his prowess in battle.

Suou deigned to step out once Gin was gone. She smiled shyly up at him. "Hello," she demurred.

"Are you still in the mood to play?"

"No birds, please," Suou said.

"Just hide-and-seek," Aizen assured her.

Suou blinked rapidly, cocking her head in question.

**x**

Living as Aizen Suou meant being adaptable - it meant not letting anything take you by surprise. It meant keeping up even if you found out you were a monkey's aunt. So when the big bad suggested playing an ordinary kid's game, I forced a grin and agreed.

I would be the one seeking. As I counted to twenty, my mind raced for an answer. I was pretty sure Aizen had other things to do - he couldn't be that free and bored enough to play with his daughter, right? I surmised that he wanted me to prove something.

If I were to be the seeker ... it meant he wanted me to find something ... did he want me to sense him?

I knew my body was made of reishi and seeing who my father was, I assumed I had large reiatsu for a kid my age. But sensing other people's reiatsu was a different matter entirely ... I'd never tried it. I closed my eyes and placed my palms over them, thinking, stretching my other senses, reaching for the one thread of life that had created me.

What was his presence like?

Dark, foreboding, yet calm and soothing - powerful. His reiatsu was dense. How hard could it be to head in that direction? Except that he had suppressed some of it. However faint it was, I could feel him, behind me - at the edge of my mind. In my mind's eye, I saw a violet ribbon splayed in the darkness, leading to the east.

I stood, eyes still closed, and ran in that direction. I was careful to maneuver around trees and obstacles, keeping one eye open and the other in darkness. The violet ribbon grew fainter with the light piercing into my retina from my other eye but it didn't vanish.

I disregarded the darkness the canopy of trees cast, rounding the large oak tree, expecting to see Aizen. "Chichi!" I looked up and there my father was, leaning casually against the tree. He smiled down at me - I blinked - and he was suddenly crouching in front of me.

"That was quick," he said.

"I could see your ribbon," I told him truthfully.

Otou-san - Dad? - arched a brow. "Ribbon?" he prompted.

I closed one eye, seeing the ribbon coiling around an invisible mass. I was still concentrating on finding him. I relaxed, willing the need to find him disappear and the ribbon was gone as well, leaving only darkness behind. "My eyes ... when I concentrate real hard, the ribbon appears when I close my eyes."

"Only when you close them?"

I tested that. "Yes."

Otou-san's eyes glittered brightly as he smiled. "Well, why don't we put it to a test? There's a town nearby. I'll mingle with them, try to find me, alright?"

A town nearby? I didn't know that. I nodded, slightly uncertain, but he tousled my hair in assurance before Shunpo'ing away. Any doubts that I was being paranoid and that this was a test disappeared - Aizen _was_ testing me. I didn't know how I could sense him, I wasn't sure if I could sense others this way but ...

I closed my right eye, concentrating again.

This was actually fun - it was certainly more action than I'd had in awhile - and I started running.

**x**

* * *

_I have no excuse for the late update. And since the popular choice is female ... so a girl, it is. I'll try to fit everyone's criteria of Suou to be powerful but not Mary-Sue, etc. But it'd be a few more chapters before her personality is properly defined. Suou has to learn where she stands in her father's eyes first._

_Also, Suou is a girl's name - Suou from Darker Than Black anime is a girl._

_I didn't respond to last chapter's reviews but I'll try to, this time. So feel free to throw suggestions, criticisms, questions or ideas at me - it keeps the inspiration coming._

_Review!_


	3. two

**TO BE KING**  
by: Riseha

**Chapter 2**

I deduced that Aizen's lab was around Rukongai from the state of the streets. I observed the villagers' faces: they didn't gossip about a Shinigami captain so I figured my father was hiding himself well-enough. I saw how mostly men and thugs littered the streets - I turned into another street and saw the first whore, a female and her sickening cooing made my heart clench tighter.

I would've felt more secure if I was larger. Fact was, I had the body of a toddler - a very tall toddler but still vulnerable as a toddler was. Any of my capoeira skills were useless if I couldn't kick high enough to hit a sensitive spot.

I forged ahead, clinging to the talisman that was the thought - Aizen was watching over me, somewhere, I was in no immediate danger - that gave me courage. Some of these villagers had thin threads but Aizen's violet ribbon stood out immensely.

I plunged in that direction, hurrying so that I could get out of here now and back to the lab underground. I didn't pause to admire the dilapidated shacks and harsh sunlight beating down on our backs.

I turned into the alleyway, closed eye seeing the ribbon arching upwards, over an obstacle that happened to be -

I bit back a yelp as someone seized my collar and pulled me off the ground. A skins-and-bones man with a brutally cut face glared at me, scrutinizing me heavily. "Oi, runt, yer lost, aren'tcha?"

I dangled helplessly. Struggling to keep my cool, I gazed steadily at the man who held me aloft. "Yer kimono's o' high quality." His toothless gums was revealed as his lips pulled into a leer. "Did a noble kid just wander into our midst?" His crooning was disgusting as he spoke in front of me.

I cringed in disgust. "Let me down this instant!"

"No." I rolled my eyes at myself. I should've expected that. How many drams had I watched anyway? I shouldn't have even asked. I didn't know where I could seek help. Maybe if I draw it out long enough, Aizen would come? Searching for his lost daughter would be something a normal dad would do. But Aizen wasn't ... exactly, normal, I realized with increasing worry.

For all I knew, he could be planning this.

The man kicked opened a door to his shack so loudly I winced. I found, to my reluctant apprehension, more men as ragged and thin as he was. I would've pitied their state of being if I wasn't being threatened by their existence.

"What's that?" asked one of the larger men.

"A noble's kid."

"No, I'm not," I said instantly, "My father is a man from the Rukongai."

"Liar. No one in Rukongai can afford the clothes you wear for their kids and you're too well-groomed; not even a speck of dust on you." He was envious of a kid - his life could sink no lower, I sneered.

"I say we kill her," suggested a second man mildly. "Desecrate the corpse than send it to Seireitei - the citizens of Rukongai aren't so easily bullied. You hurt one of us, we hurt one of you."

"What? That's idiotic!" I cried. It was the wrong thing to say. The man holding me tossed me to the ground. "Ow..."

"Good idea. This kid's young and she already has the arrogance of those that live in their Sekki-shit protected walls."

My captor drew a knife. One even hefted an axe. How did this even happen?

The one closest to me swung his jagged, rusted katana and the terror accumulated broke through - spilling every corner of the room, unseen energy formed by fear pressed down on all of us.

I screamed as it burned my body inside-out.

**x**

It was just a test to see how she would react in danger. Aizen had several scenarios in mind when his daughter would be assaulted by one of those living in the Rukongai. These people had been tousled by the citizens of Seiretei too many times to allow even a child some semblance of mercy.

Furthermore, they were easy to manipulate.

His Complete Hypnosis worked even on his daughter - Suou did not notice him standing in the shack, the seventh man to a group of six. Then again, her eyes were wide open and if she could only see the 'ribbon' when she did not have a sense of sight, she would not know.

Sadly, he would have to test it later. Before Aizen could interfere, his daughter screamed and her reiryoku poured out of her in waves - her fear-fueled reiatsu was a blanket of defense that pressed down on every occupant in the room, affected them but him.

He rested his palm on Kyoka Suigetsu's hilt, subtly altering the illusion she was seeing - it changed, one man stumbled forward, resisting her defense, and raised his axe for the kill.

Suou's terror intensified - she screamed for her father, for Gin, and for Kaname - and Aizen watched in mild fascination as her reiatsu abandoned defense for offense as she subconsciously willed her attackers to disappear. The color of her reiatsu was nearly identical to his - light violet energy morphed into a hissing, spitting snake that opened its jaw wide and crushed the man.

Impressive - so this was what a combination of Aizen and Yachiru Unohana's reiatsu could accomplish. However, Aizen sensed that the girl couldn't control that power and true, enough she was writhed on the ground as her reiryoku burned her, seeking to be unleashed in a way her tiny body couldn't manage.

Aizen moved, snatching her off the ground and running back to his lab, smirking.

Finally, his Hogyoku could feed.

**x**

When he created his daughter, he had paused to ponder whose reiryoku he should use. Yachiru Unohana - or Retsu Unohana as she was known now - was his chosen candidate. His intention to have a child was not only because he could use another useful tool. But because this child could feed his Hogyoku continuously or act as a temporary host.

Even if it wasn't continuously, a portion of it could be permanently handed to his Hogyoku. The slivers of Aizen's and Unohana's reiatsu could evolve until it was too much for Suou's frail body to handle was something Aizen had half-expected when he saw how quickly she'd grown in barely a year.

Suou's body was already forcing itself to grow up quickly to handle the reiryoku she had. Every pore of her reishi-made body could not handle the reiryoku and when the heart kept pumping reiryoku and blood, there was a high chance Suou could die.

That was when the Hogyoku would absorb it - relieving Suou of that burden.

By the time Aizen had slipped the Hogyoku into Suou's palm, his daughter's body had already evolved to that of a seven-year-old's and growing. Her skin burned with heat. She screamed.

Aizen stepped back to observe - he watched as the black energy enveloped his daughter's form, encompassing her and blocking her from sight, greedily devouring the reiatsu she expelled.

Oh, of course, Suou would continue to grow and she would be at Captain-class level, but a portion of her potential would always be stored up in the Hogyoku because she, sadly, would be unable to use that potential to its fullest if said potential could not be adjusted to more manageable means.

Suou's reiatsu finally calmed - reiryoku receding to the safety confines of the body when too much reiryoku had been absorbed to be ignored.

Aizen pried the Hogyoku from her hand, returning his treasure to its special case. He traced his daughter's features before he moved her to her room.

He would strike 'potential host for Hogyoku' off his list of her usefulness.

**x**

It was disorienting. To have the perception of a toddler one moment and that of a 3rd grader next. I had relearn walking. I muttered unflattering cusses under my breath as I stumbled around my room with the gracefulness of a baby learning how to walk.

Or a pig learning how to walk on two feet.

I grunted as I reached my door.

Two days after I woke up in a new, grown body and a 'concerned' father by my side, I knew something had happened. My memories were blurry at best - of men threatening to kill me and me reacting badly. "Just a side-effect of the immense reiryoku you have, don't worry," Aizen told me.

I struggled to trust him. For now, he was the only person I could rely on, the one I could learn from. I needed to be stronger - someone people would think last as a person to mess with.

I'd gotten the hang of walking and running - almost - and since I would age slower from now on, I figured I should stop worrying about waking up as an old hag.

Aizen had also started teaching me how to fight in the Shinigami-ways. I suspected that it was just a high-tech illusion that was used in the same way a recorded video was - an image of him teaching me when he was actually not present. When I was not learning kata's or practicing Hakuda, I was reading Kido spells - a book Aizen himself had written apparently - or practicing calligraphy.

I didn't care much about that but I guess it would be pretty embarrassing for Aizen - whose handwriting was flawlessly neat and pretty - to have a daughter who couldn't write very well with a brush when he taught a calligraphy class in the Academy. It was an hour wasted of everyday if you asked me.

I much preferred to be fighting, running at top-speed (or, play Chasing Uncle Gin) and casting Kido spells that blew trees away.

Zanjutsu was the last subject taught to me - it seemed quite backward since every Shinigami should master this technique. I had yet to gain my Zanpakuto so I only had a wooden sword to compensate. It was a poor compensation and it left me craving the day I would gain my Asauchi.

Once I managed to go through the katas swiftly and without mistake - which took the duration of nearly a year - I was allowed to spar with Kaname (because Aizen didn't know his strength and Gin could use it as an excuse to snap my neck).

I was felt quite humiliated to keep losing to a blind man - his centuries of experience over me not withstanding - and it always invigorated me to keep trying, to try harder.

**x**

My life, of course, didn't consist of only training. I stayed in my room some days, just reading and relaxing, but on off-days where I needed fresh air (after getting my ass repeatedly kicked by a blind basta- man), I would climb the mountains in Rukongai - at the top of it were the freshest air to be gained and I liked looking down from such a high place.

That was where I met _her_.

By my high standards of beauty, she was definitely gorgeous. Sparkling blue eyes, peach skin and long black hair braided down the front of her shinigami robes - Unohana Retsu.

She made a soft noise of surprise when she saw me. "My, I didn't think anyone had it in them to climb up to these mountains."

"... Because they have better things to do?" I retorted dryly, curious as to how she would respond to the backhanded question. I had only interacted with three people in this life - those men in Rukongai that threatened to desecrate my corpse not counted - and neither of them was a woman. Then again, I would probably never meet someone like her again.

"I was here gathering herbs - which you are sitting on - and I do like climbing mountains, if only to breathe the cool air here and admire the scenery."

I leaped up from where I was resting and moved away as she went to inspect their state. "Oops. Er, sorry. I thought that patch looked comfortable enough to sit on." I felt a tad embarrassed though I could not name why I felt so.

"It's quite alright, child," Her voice was genuinely soft and kind - funny how people who could kill so easily had soft-spoken dispositions - as she fingered the green plant. I wondered if she was as fake as Aizen was. It was hard to tell with people really - humans, alive or dead or spirits, were such deceptive creatures, even at the core of their souls. In truth, Soul Society was a mirror: the Rukongai reflected what humans were when they were bared, showing the hideousness residing within them; the Seireitei was fake, showed nothing but external beauty. Those two places weren't that different: it was the type of monsters that differed.

"They are very resilient as their names imply. Speaking of names, what's yours?"

I bit back my surname and said, "Suou. You?"

"Unohana Retsu." She smiled at me, patting the spot next to where she'd settled down. "Feel free to sit." I did. I was surprised that I didn't feel any oppressive reiatsu radiating from her - then again, my reiatsu was potent on its own. Just recently, Aizen had deemed it stabilized. Good to know I wouldn't accidentally kill people. "So, Suou-chan, why are you covered in bruises?"

"Eh?" I inspected my rumpled, dust-covered clothing and bruises dotting my arms. "Oh, I was sparring with my ... uncle." Unohana's hand was gentle and warm as she coaxed me to show the extent of the damage. Without another word, she healed it, her hand glowing a soft green. In a minute, all my wounds were gone. I looked at her with newfound, established respect. "That's so cool."

Unohana chuckled lightly. "Well, that's what the Captain of the 4th Division is supposed to do, anyway."

"Captain?" I forced my eyes to widen in faux-surprise. My eyes snapped to her haori, as if realizing it for the first time. "I really should pay more attention, huh ..." I scratched my cheek sheepishly.

Retsu inclined her head. "I'm not your enemy so there is little to fear." Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought about it. "Are you the child of a noble clan?"

"No."

"Will you be attending Shino Academy anytime soon?"

"... I'll have to ask my father about that," I mumbled in response, pulling on the grass.

"Do you train often?"

I nodded, glad that she was providing fuel to keep the conversation going - my social skills were pitifully stunted. "Yeah - everyday!"

"What else do you do in your free time?" Retsu prodded.

"Reading and ... climbing mountains - that's it, really." Looking it in a way, I didn't have much of a life and it seemed that Unohana thought the same. "I can't wait to enter the Academy - at least I'll have someone other than my dad and uncles to talk to," I admitted to her.

Retsu hummed thoughtfully. "I visit this mountain often - perhaps we can meet and talk again. It has been awhile since I last spoke to someone other than Shinigami."

"Though I will be soon," I pointed out.

"You are quite young in appearance - how old are you?"

Technically, I was four years old - who would believe that when I looked nine? And she wouldn't believe me if I said I used to have another life who'd been in her mid-teens when she died. "Ten," I lied. Retsu's eyes sparkled like she knew I was trying to act older than I really was.

"That is rather young - there are many more joys offered than a Shinigami's life." I glanced quizzically at her. "I know many citizens in Rukongai become Shinigami to ease their lives but once you become a Shinigami, it is merely a constant repetition of action - rather boring for a young one - and it's always work and work. Furthermore, you will be unable to retire unless you wish to spend the majority of your life in Maggot's Nest."

"Unohana-san, you sound like you're discouraging me," I commented, hesitantly, "Is that something a Captain should be saying?"

"I am not discouraging you - it's good that you show dedication - I was merely warning you. Perhaps a closer look in Shinigami life is what you should get."

I cocked a brow. "How's that going to happen unless I become one?"

Retsu smiled. "Why, if you bother to accept, I'll be delighted to induct you into the Ikebana Club I run - there will be Shinigami for you to interview."

Since I had nothing to do, I accepted. She handed me a pass before she left. Tomorrow on at 3 o'clock in the afternoon; she would be waiting at the Blue Stream Gate in the East Rukongai - I lived in the outskirts of Fugai, District 62.

I found no opportunity to inform my father or Gin or Tosen. Since I was old enough now, they took turns to drop by at least three to five days a week. Tosen always arrived on Tuesdays to train me - my father and Gin weren't so scheduled. So I was free on Wednesday - to my luck.

Finally - a change in routine!

**x**

Aizen Sosuke prided himself in keeping his cool and being able to salvage something from every situation. That Suou would meet her biological mother was inevitable but Aizen had planned on keeping Suou as far away from Unohana Retsu as possible.

Of _course_ Suou had to meet Unohana Retsu by some coincidence and be invited into Seireitei as a guest.

The unpredictability Suou brought into his life was a refreshing change and an unwelcome one. The old man was powerful but not very wise - Retsu was a different matter entirely, if anyone could ruin his plans, it was that woman.

Blue was a color common for eyes - many others had the same eyes - but if Retsu looked closer, she would see that Suou had her eyes: a blue sky sprinkled with stars. Aizen had noticed, as Suou had grown older, that Suou had Retsu's smile - though she lacked the threat backing the action.

Suou's resemblance to Aizen was more subtle - same nose, same oblique brows, same easy-smiling lips, similar shape of the face and her hair had his wavy, dark quality - and one needed to look perceptively for the similarities.

To say Aizen was displeased that his daughter had wandered into the heart of the 4th Division was an understatement. Oh he was not angry to the brink where he wanted to slap his daughter - Aizen did not agree with physical punishment nor did he want to shout at the girl.

Suou was only four-years-old and as she had seen very little of human females - people of her gender - Aizen could let her off the hook for her curiosity.

Nevertheless, his smile was a bit strained, as opposed to Suou's open surprise, when he saw his daughter - obvious among the sea of Shinigami in her purple dress and black kimono jacket - and he wondered what to do with her. Haul her out or openly reprimand her?

"Eh?" Hinamori sounded extremely curious. "Who's this, Isane-chan?"

"She's Unohana-taicho's guest," replied the silver-haired lieutenant.

Suou's sky-blue eyes widened slightly in surprise - as did a few others, Aizen saw - when he reached out to cup her cheek. Suou looked ready to comment but her father beat her to it: "Suou, why did you wander off without notice? Did you know how worried I was?"

**x**

Wow. Just wow.

Aizen should be handed an Oscar award for his stellar performance - the amount of worry he punctured his tone with was enough to let loose all the malice that might be packed into his tone.

"But - you were busy," I defended lamely, embarrassed that he was making a scene in the middle of the Shinigami cafeteria. I wanted to disappear from sight and memory. "I didn't want to bother you."

"Aizen-taicho, who is she - how do you know her?" Otou-san's lieutenant asked, apparently mystified. I saw a lot of Shinigami ducking their heads and looking through their bangs.

"Oh." Aizen furrowed his brows, appearing to be in deep thought. "Suou's my daughter."

"What?" was the general outcry.

Hinamori's mouth fell open.

As Aizen - dad? - dragged me out of the cafeteria, I saw his lips curving into a smirk.

He was enjoying this.

In that moment, I realized that I, to him, would likely amount to nothing more than an entertainment.

(I'd expected that but it didn't expect that something in me felt like withering away.)

**x**

* * *

_Would be the last update for awhile ... I think. Reviews and suggestions would help the next chapter's creation._

_**Question:** How soon do you think Unohana would find out Suou is her daughter? How do you imagine it would happen?_

_R&amp;R_


	4. three

**TO BE KING**  
by: Riseha

**Chapter 3**

Not two weeks after my existence was revealed – and it still made me want to wilt into the ground because whenever I wandered around Seireitei, everyone found it prudent to _stare_ – I joined the Shin'o Academy. I figured it was pointless to wait any longer. The only reason I'd continuously declined admittance was because I didn't feel ready to face the world as Seireitei's soon-to-be most hated enemy.

The entrance exam couldn't even be called that. It was clear everyone loved my father and was absolutely smitten with him.

"Ah, Aizen-taichō's daughter," the bearded instructor noted, smiling vaguely at me. His eyes twinkled with curiosity.

My face was impassive, lacking the smile my father so often wore. I had nothing to hide. "… Yes." I finally spoke when it seem as if they wanted a response from me.

The examination room was similar to what I imagined where scholarship application interviews took place: a spacious room built out of wood and a scroll hanging form walls, written in perfect calligraphy writing. There was a clothed desk before the three interviewers. I stood a few feet away from them, eyeing the scrolls critically.

Noticing where I was looking, the bespectacled interviewer said, "Your father wrote that. Impressive writing."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Did he think I was blind? I had enough calligraphy lessons from Aizen to know his handwriting. I grunted in affirmation. "Can we start now?"

The three of them exchanged blinks. What, they wanted pleasantries? Fat chance. My dad got that covered, I gotta cover rudeness and evilness for him. "Very well," acquiesced the bearded man – the woman with her hair tied into a bun had yet to speak as she analyzed me deeply – steepling his fingers. "We only require you to demonstrate reiryoku. Seeing who your father is, I doubt you will have trouble."

"Hado #33: Sōkatsui!"

In retrospect, unleashing a huge torrent of blue energy to destroy the interview room was done out of spite instead of the urge to impress the instructors.

Whatever I accomplished here would only reflect on my father: _Of course Suou is awesome! She's Aizen-taichō's daughter, remember?_

Tch.

**~$uou~**

The weekend couldn't have come quickly enough. I was looking forward to the reprieve of getting out of campus grounds – students who actually have a home to return to are free to return during the weekends – and visit Retsu-san.

Ikebana still wasn't my most favorite thing to do but Retsu-san's company was one of my favorites. She taught me the various types of herbs and how to recognize them though I was a bit slow to pick things up. I was more proficient in the violent aspects of the Shinigami arts than what she actively promoted in her squad.

Why was I so eager to leave?

Well, clearly everyone in school already knew how I blew up the interview. It painted me as a rebel. There were a lot of rumors going on – having a famous dad did that to you, put pressure on you I mean – and the teachers were pretty wary of me.

I regretted acting rashly.

My father didn't reprimand me because he most likely knew I'd regret it.

We both knew I didn't like attention. Aizen probably thought I was shy due to the years of isolation from souls such as myself. My reasoning was because how I'd be targeted. If Aizen was defeated – and he would, unless I killed Ichigo as soon as I could go to the Human World – what would happen to me for conspiring with him? I did not look forward to spending the rest of my life in prison with him.

I'd be driven insane – so many thousand years underground and enshrouded in darkness. Thinking about it made me go weak-kneed.

… Was I thinking too far into the future? Maybe.

After all, I had homework to do and classes to pay attention in.

If I made an appeal to the headmaster – or get my father or Tōsen – to write a letter of recommendation, I could probably skip a few grades but graduating didn't seem appealing to me either. Retsu-san's words made me think very carefully.

A life of eternal servitude. If you chose to retire, into the Maggot's Nest you go.

"What's with the heavy sigh, Su-_tan_?"

I cringed out of habit from the hideous nickname I'd been saddled with. Only someone could make my skin crawl by simply speaking: Uncle Gin. I bit back a grimace – it wouldn't do me any favors to let him know he'd successfully intimidated me – and turned to nod politely at him.

"It's nothing," I assured him, quickening my pace to the 4th Division. I was still dressed in my Academy uniform and it probably made me stand out – I had, however, gotten quite used to the staring and whispering.

"How's school?" Gin asked, loping after me, falling into step with me, an arm thrown over my shoulder.

I had a petite build and my head barely brushed his hipbone. He was _that_ tall. "Not bad," I answered quickly, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. In the general vicinity of so many people, I doubted he would actually harm me but Gin's unpredictability was what unnerved me. I had to bring up Gin's loyalty with my father someday.

"Made any friends?" he persisted.

"… No. The girls and I have nothing in common to talk about; the boys don't approach me." Most likely because of how _young_ I looked. My body was somewhere between the ages of nine to ten, the others were significantly older and taller. They didn't respect my maturity and thought I'd only gotten in due to my father's influence over the whole school.

Furthermore, animosity was raging when I could beat older kids in spars.

Gin hummed. "Must've been 'ery lone'y"

"I'm used to it."

"Eh?" he drawled. "Su-tan, ya make us 'ound 'ike we dun' take 'ood care of ya."

"There's no one my age," I reasoned. "That what makes me feel isolated."

Gin patted his chest then he ruffled my hair roughly – not out of fondness, he just wanted to mess with me. "Unc'e Gin knows who ter' brin' ya ter'."

"Can it wait? I want to see Retsu-san – Unohana-taichō."

Gin's lips curved even higher. "'eah, 'ave fun wit' 'er – girl time, so preci'os." He cackled.

… Even after years of knowing him, he still crept me out. No matter. All I cared was that he had already Shunpo'ed off and I was getting closer to the 4th Division's barracks.

_Retsu-san_ – I smiled.

**~$uou~**

There were four seasons in Soul Society. Well, if Soul Society was based off ancient Japan, I shouldn't be surprised to realize it the first time. Japan did have four seasons after all. Japan's spring had been interpreted into Seireitei. The one thing I could agree with the girls in my class was the beauty of the sakura trees – even though the best view would've been in the Kuchiki grounds.

"Aizen-san!"

"Un?" I turned to see who had addressed me, absentmindedly brushing off the petals that had drifted onto my head. I, like many of the students, had came out to have lunch beneath the sakura trees even though I was self-conscious about having no one else to sit with.

The students here were divided: the nobility and those from the Rukongai. The former group scorned me because of how I was, technically, a Rukongai-born as was my father, no matter how popular he was. Either that or they thought I was too kiddy to be associated with – this was an opinion shared with the majority of the Rukongai students. Also, they were under the misconception I was snobbish.

That and I had a room all to myself. No thanks to Aizen: "My daughter's young, very young – I fear she might be hazed by older students. So, a favor if I may…"

Yeah right, this special treatment only served to up the hazing. While I knew Aizen wouldn't physically threaten my life, he wasn't above to deteriorating my mental health and general opinion of others. If I had no friends, I wouldn't have been influenced by them, essentially leaving me loyal only to Aizen and his goals.

Rather than not wanting to have friends, I _can't_ have friends.

Even if by some off-chance I did make friends, I knew I'd treasure them which would only lead Aizen to somehow take them away – pull strings, send Hollows, get them killed. I didn't dare risk it. Disobeying Aizen was a big no-no.

I'd turned my nose up at the last person who'd wanted to make friends.

So, it came as a surprise that anyone would address me. I blinked at the taller student, needing to crane my neck to look up at him. His reason for approaching me was clear not a moment too soon: "Katsuie-sensei was asking for you."

"Thank you."

That left me one thing to ponder about … what did my homeroom teacher want with me?

I gathered reishi beneath my feet and flash-stepped. The novelty of it had worn out – as had the frustration at slamming into walls, trees and face-planting on the ground – but it always thrilled me. I loved running around but had refrained from doing such ever since I joined the Academy, in case I came off as a lunatic.

I knocked on the faculty room – Retsu-san had said always to be polite – and I slipped in. I located Katsuie-sensei very quickly, if only because of his crazy, rainbow-colored Mohawk. I always felt the strange urge to snort when I saw him – his hairstyle did not suit his gray beard and thick full-moon glasses.

"You summoned me, Katsuie-sensei?" I prompted, popping up beside his desk. He was grading papers – definitely not my class's papers.

Katsuie looked up, adjusting his glasses and squinting through them. "Ah, Aizen. I did summon you." He nodded. "Do you find classes to your liking?"

Who cared if a student liked the class? All that mattered was that they learned something. Figuring this was another case of favoritism – since it was in my favor, I did not criticize the teachers – I nodded. "Is it dull?" Katsuie wondered.

My eyelid twitched – a sure sign I was about to lie, I was lying or I had lied. "No."

Katsuie smiled down at me like a doting uncle seeing his favorite, precocious niece. "You are rather advanced in comparison to your classmates, don't lie."

"Well," I began, trying not to offend, "I've been learning every since I could walk. It's to be expected."

Katsuie hummed in acknowledgement. "See? What's so hard about telling the truth?" I plastered on an abashed smile and pinkened cheeks – I still wasn't seeing the point of this conversation. "As you've clearly went through all that was taught – or will be taught – how about graduating altogether?"

"You're kicking me _out_?"

Katsuie snorted softly. "After graduation comes the rank of a Shinigami. There's a test at the end of this week. I've signed you up for it along with this year's graduating class. Classroom 107, Aizen, and remember – punctuality is key to getting into your superiors' good graces."

And he winked like it was a smart joke.

**~$uou~**

I had trouble sleeping.

No, it wasn't because of how dark, how lonely being in a room by myself was. I doubt there were ghosts to worry about—technically, I was one. What kept me wide awake was the awareness of what I'd done: I'd flunked the graduation exam.

Katsuie had looked shocked. He'd pulled me aside and demanded an explanation for passing up blank test papers.

I couldn't explain it to him. He wouldn't understand my reluctance to go into service for the Gotei 13. It was like slaving away until how many decades more before Aizen finally unveiled his plot. I estimated decades because Hirako was no longer a captain and Aizen was.

Such a _pointless_ existence… why must I subject myself to it?

Great, now I sounded like the Espada of Emo, Ulquiorra.

I was sure my father would want to have a word with me—and so would Retsu-san. The woman had a motherly role in my life that I had to admit, I needed it. She gave me genuine comfort when I needed it. I was technically an adult but in this world, I could've been a hundred years old and I'd still be counted as a ten-year-old. It was humbling to realize, even with two lives under my belt, there were thousands of citizens here with centuries of experience and wisdom ahead of me. I felt young and exactly my age when I stood and talked to them.

Retsu-san had high expectations of me. Aizen probably expected a whole lot more from me. Yet, I'd followed my impulsive heart and flunked out of spite. I can't say I regret doing that if it meant more less-stressful halcyon days for me.

Maybe I should explain to Retsu-san why I did it… and see if my father was angry with me … I couldn't recall a time I had pissed him off the point of being punished. I might as well find out now. And … I sorta miss him.

There, I admitted it. I was in a glum mood because I wasn't used to not seeing him on a daily basis—be it in reality or it was an illusion borne of Kyōka Suigetsu. I was angry: his brainwash was working very well. I depended on him and I wasn't doing anything to stop myself.

I sulked—skulked—out of the campus.

It was technically against the rules to be leaving without permission, especially since it wasn't a weekend. But I got into the official division buildings no problem. There were guard patrols but I was swifter and sneakier than they were, slipping through their guards though guards from Division 2 had always been a pain to deal with—they weren't the fastest squad for nothing.

The 4th Division wasn't that far from the 5th Division and since I came from the east, the 4th Division barracks was closer to reach.

My reservations grew when I came closer to where Retsu-san would be resting. It was a little over midnight, would she appreciate me popping up?

… Maybe I should—

"Suou-chan?"

I stiffened from where I perched on the roof. I sidled over to the edge, peering down to see the porch: Retsu-san was sitting seiza style, admiring the moon or something, and I hadn't noticed! I spared a moment to be awed by her before swinging down to join her, feeling mildly apprehensive.

"I heard about what happened," Retsu-san began calmly. She was smiling, eyes closed, lips closed—I nearly pissed my pants in fear. "You failed your graduation test—_on purpose_. Care to elaborate?" It was not a question: it was an order I was expected to obey.

I wanted to be tight-lipped about it but with Retsu-san, it was impossible to say no. Feeling distinctly awkward – as I was not used to expressing myself, verbally at that – I tried my best to convey my worries anyway. Retsu-san's smile diminished to be replaced by a thoughtful look of serenity. "I suppose a child such as yourself expect more of the world other than working and shouldering a responsibility such as balancing the dimensions."

"I just thought – I think – there's got to be more than my life to this." At least Retsu-san didn't seem angry anymore. It was hard to tell with her but the intimidation behind her smile was missing. "Why did you become a Shinigami – if I may know?" I tagged on the last part quickly, hesitantly – was I overstepping my boundaries?

"Becoming a Shinigami was the only way for me to find more in life – so to speak," Retsu-san, unexpectedly, answered readily. "Were you imagining something else?"

"The Human World," I revealed longingly. I know, I know – it was too much to hope that my old family, my previous life, were within reach but I wanted to try. Karakura Town was the only place shown in Bleach. Were there other countries and cities? The number of inhabitants in Soul Society was nothing compared to the true number of how many people inhabited the living world. It got me curious.

Retsu-san chuckled. "Curiosity. I know that feeling – the thirst for more and more to fulfill the emptiness inside." Her eyelids fluttered, as opposed to how my eyes had widened. I knew a bit of her bloody past and how she was the first Kenpachi but to imply it so openly? "Come closer, Suou." I did, coming to sit beside her. Her palm cupped my cheek. She reopened her eyes – as if seeing me in a new light – and the blue of her eyes ignited a fiery longing within me. This tranquility wouldn't last and her imminent death, my inevitable desertion – it struck me our time was limited. If all else fails, I want to save _her_. "So precious, Suou-chan."

I blushed.

"You should do what you feel inclined to, Suou."

"Er, really?"

"Just remember that if you're hurt, you can always come back – I'll patch you up until you're good as new again."

I smiled. "Okay."

**~$uou~**

Retsu-san offered me a place to stay the night in her division but it made me recall I still haven't seen my father yet. With Aizen, I had figured that if I let something dangle, it'd just give him more time to be creative about whatever mental torture he had in store for me.

Besides, I wanted to fulfill a part of my curiosity.

Did Aizen ever sleep? If so, did he sleep on his back? I got this absurd notion that he slept standing or sitting, so that no one else would ever be _higher_ than he was.

… Ridiculous? Yeah, but totally Aizen.

I knew my father's quarters well enough. There were no guards patrolling the area – Aizen must've been very confident in his own safety – and I slid the shōji doors to his room without hindrance. I could sense the mild pressure of his ever-present reiatsu – fortunately for me, giving me an idea of his location, as the room was darkened.

"… Suou?"

"Dad," I let him know it was me.

_Do what you feel inclined to._

I want to see reactions. I want to know my father. I want to see what I was to him – a toy? An experiment? Where had it begun? Why did I exist? What can I do for you? How can I help you from that hell you're about to set up for yourself? Why did you even want the throne in the sky?

"You're getting awfully clingy," Aizen's self-control was so immaculate that he didn't even stiffen when I sidled beneath the covers and curled around his back, "_Suou_," he said my name as if he wanted to remind himself – and me – of who I was and what sort of personality I actually had.

"I missed you," I said with no little amount of melodrama. I added a sigh to up the effect of my longing.

There was the sound of him exhaling – or snorting. "Flunking for my attention?"

"In a way," I mumbled vaguely, curling my fingers in the fabric of his yukata. Aizen was like a freaking heater – he was warm and I wondered if it was because of his vast reiryoku, because there was no way his big, _golden_ heart did that. "I didn't feel like becoming a Shinigami so soon. Once I start, I'd die a Shinigami."

"Too inglorious for you?" Aizen asked, sounding amused.

"Pointless," I offered.

"You do know that if you'd served the Gotei 13 for five centuries, you can officially retire? Without being thrown into Maggot's Nest."

I was pleasantly surprised by this bit of information. "Really?" That was daunting. "Five centuries … that's so long. Are you even that old?"

"Yes, it's the truth; no, but I'm reaching that age." He chortled in dark amusement. "Suou, drawing out your graduation is only going to be a setback. Your years in the Academy are not counted."

Damn.

"I'll definitely pass the next time," I mumbled, starting to get drowsy. The night had been cold and here my father was, warm and not being particularly … mean. "Def… initely…"

I was asleep before I even realized it.

**~$uou~**

* * *

**Author's Corner:** First things first: sorry for the late update. I can't seem to keep up a regular update schedule since life's pretty demanding – and FF is my only reprieve. TnT

I've covered a bit of character and relationship development - Suou's a bit bratty, eh, well, we're afraid of growing up and shouldering adult responsibilities at one point.

At any rate, anyone curious about what Unohana and Aizen were thinking when they were interacting with Suou? Review and you'll get a special omake for it through PM – thanks for the idea, _GaleSynch_! :)

Next chapter: expect the manifestation of her Zanpakutō.

**Q:** Would you like to see Suou in her father's division or under someone else?

**Read &amp; Review**

**:)**


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